Protected mop head and method of assembling it



1959 w. E. KAUTENBERG 2,870,474

PROTECTED MOP HEAD AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING IT Filed Aug. 10, 1956 INVENTOR. W/LL/AM E. KAUTE/VBE/?6 United States Patent Ofiice PROTECTED -,,MQ. HEADv ANDMETHOD 20F SEMBLING IT William Kautenberg; Freeport, .Ill., assignor to W. E. Kautenberg Co., 'Free'port, Ill., a corporation of lllinols Application August 10, 1956, Serial 13109693338 '6 Claims; (Cl. 15-.229)

This invention relates in general to a mop head for cellulose sponge yarn strands and the method of assembling the mop. It is more particularly described as a mop head having a clamping plate and a clamping wire extending at the ends of the plate with a plastic protector thereon for protecting floors, baseboards, and the like, from undue scratchingand abrasion by the wireat the ends of the clamping plate.

If mops of this type are used without a protector at the ends of the clamping. plate and extending over the ends of the clamping wire projecting beyond the clamping plate, the ordinary mopping movement will cause the engagement of the-metal projecting ends of the mop not only .with the fioor, but also-wit-hthe furniture, baseboards, walls and whatever is contactedthereby.

An important object of the invention is in the provision of afiexible protector preferably of rubber or other plastic material which extendsover the clamping wire and over the bent ends of the wireand theends of the clamping plate for engaging the ends of the wire so that these arp and Projecting portionsof the mop head .'will not be engaged in using the mop.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mop with an improved simple clamping plate and wire construction for connecting cellulose sponge yarn mops to a handle.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a mop having a protector for a mop strand engaging wire which is secured in place by the insertion of a mop handle engaging the ends of the protector when the handle is clinched in place.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved method of assembling a mop which comprises assembling the strands of the mop between a clamping wire and a clamping plate forming a cross head, applying a protector over the ends of the wire and within the clamping plate and securing the protector in place by clinching the end of the handle between the sides of the clamping plate and in engagement with the ends of the protector.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the specification and will be apparent from the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a mop strand engaging wire with a number of cellulose sponge strands looped thereover;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view similar to Fig. l with a protector applied around the ends of the clamping wire;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the clamping wire protector;

Fig. 4 is a bracketed view of a mop head clamping plate and a broken away handle to be applied thereto; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional assembly view of a mop head in accordance with this invention.

In this mop, the mop strands are first clamped together, the ends of the clamping parts are covered by a protector and the protector is firmly secured in place at the same Patented J an. 27, 1-959 .2- time thatthe handle is attached. The succession of op-,- erations is simple, .direct and positive, the parts are securely fastened together and the--assembly is completed by theengagement and'attachment of a handle.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a plurality of mop strands 10 which may be of ordinary fabric, but preferablyare of cellulose, sponge yarn, are looped over a-clamping wire-12 which has extremities '14 bent. to .provide a proper mop length between them. To clamp the mo-pstr ands in place, the mop head is provided with a clamping plate 16 having notches 18 at opposite ends spaced apart to receive the bent extremities 14 of the clamping wire 12 and with a slight depression 20 forming a groove at the outside of the clamping plate between the notches;

The bent extremities 14 of the clamping wire 1 2 are inserted through the notches 18 with the strands spaced along the wire .and the extremities are bent over the notched end of. the clamping plate, clamping the mop yarns tightly between the plate and the wire. The intermediate portion of the wire is preferably compressed upwardly in a curve 22 which forces the engaged portions,

ofv the .mop yarns into the depression 20 of the clamping platewhen these parts are pressed together.

At the sides of the clamping plate are lateral extensions '24 terminating in rounded portions '26 at the center which. when bent togetherfrom opposite sides form a socket for receiving the end of a handle 28 for operating the rnop. In. the-ends-of the rounded portions are bent tonguesfilllwhich-maybe partially formed in the clamping plate before the'portions; 26 are partially rounded. The handle 28 .is inserted into the socket formed by the rounded portions 26-before they'are entirely closediand" the tongues 30 are clinched-into the opposite sides of the" handle, athereby securely fastening it in place and attaching it to the clamping plate which forms the mop head.

With the construction as thus described in assembled form, the ends of the wire 12 and the notched ends of the clamping plate 24 will project more or less from the sides of the mop as these portions cannot be entirely covered by the mop strands. The result is that when the mop is used, these parts will engage the floors, baseboards, furniture and other articles as the mop is used. This will tend to scratch, mar, wear and otherwise deface the articles with which the mop comes in contact and to avoid this objection, a protector 32 of rubber, plastic or other suitable material is applied which covers the wire and extends over the bent ends of the wire and the notched ends of the clamping plate. This protector preferably has a width substantially equal to the space between the lateral extensions 24 of the clamping plate when it is in engaging position, the outer surface 34 is flatly rounded and the inner side of the protector has a longitudinal groove 36 which fits closely over the wire 12 so that it is seated firmly thereon, the wire being ordinarily about onethird of the width of the protector. The protector is longer than the clamping wire 12 and has ends 38 which extend beyond the extremities 14 of the wire when they are bent in clamping position with respect to the clamping plate 16 so that the ends 38 of the protector extend within the clamping plate and into the path of the handle 28 which is inserted therein. The end of the handle is pressed into the open socket of the clamping plate engaging and partially crushing the'ends 33 of the protector so that the protector is bound tightly in place When the tongues 30 are clinched into the handle, thereby binding the handle to the clamping plate forming the head of the mop and at the same time tightly securing the protector in place.

With this method, not only is a simple strong and eificient mop assembled with a minimum of operation, but also a protector for the metal clamping members is included in the construction and bound effectively in place as the mop is assembled, the protector being secured in place in the same operation by which the handle is attached to the clamping plate. This not only provides a simple and efficient construction, but also it provides an improved result by protecting the projecting parts of the mop head without additional clamping operations.

While a protected mop head and an improved method of assembling it has been described in some detail, it should be regarded as an illustration or example rather than as a limitation or restriction of the invention, since various changes in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. The method of covering the outer exposed sides of the ends of a bent wire for gripping the strands in a mop with a protecting strip, using a clamping plate having notches at the ends and laterally extending mop handle grips which comprises stringing the strands over the Wire and placing it against the clamping plate with the strands between them, bending the wire ends beyond the strands in the notches at the ends of the clamping plate, applying the protecting strip over the outer exposed side of the wire and the bent ends thereof and securing the ends of the covering protective strip within the laterally extending handle grips of the clamping plate to project at the ends of the plate beyond the outer exposed surfaces of the wire clamped therein.

2. In the method according to claim 1, the step of securing the mop handle between the lateral edges of the clamping plate and pressing the ends of the protecting strip inwardly over the wire and within the clamping plate to hold the protecting strip tightly in place.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2, in which the end of the mop handle which is inserted between the opposite lateral portions of the clamping plate is firmly pressed against the ends of the protecting strip and secured in position by tightly engaging opposite portions t of the lateral clamping plate extensions with the end of the handle.

4. In a mop head, a plurality of substantially parallel mop strands, a clamping plate to extend transversely of the strands having notches at the ends and lateral extensions at the sides thereof, a wire extending across the strands at the bottom of the clamping plate, the ends of the wire being bent over inwardly in the notches and between the lateral extensions of the clamping plate to grip the strands tightly in place, a plastic protector for the wire extending at the outer exposed side for the full length of the wire and inwardly over the wire between the lateral extensions of the clamping plate, and means to secure the ends of the protector tightly against the wire Within the lateral extensions of the clamping plate.

5. In a mop head in accordance with claim 4, the protector having a longitudinal groove at one side in which the wire is inserted to cover the wire at the relatively outer exposed side.

6. In a mop head in accordance with claim 4, a mop handle adapted to be inserted between the lateral extensions of the clamping plate, and means for tightly attaching the handle to the clamping plate and also engaging the inserted end of the handle with the ends of the protector for binding it tightly in place over the bent ends of the wire.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,214,691 Follen Sept. 10, 1940 2,304,961 Schulman Dec. 15, 1942 2,626,415 Lo-gel Jan. 27, 1953 2,696,015 Richter Dec. 7, 1954 2,738,534 Frie Mar. 20, 1956 2,743,471 Forrester May 1, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 823,188 Germany Dec. 3, 1951 

